Steve W wrote:

Thanks - that eases my mind considerably! I was starting to do a bit of
post-rationalisation myself and coming to the view that I could hardly
grumble for £50. It just means I will need to keep my existing audio system
"in parallel" for playing music CDs using the digital out on the DVD Player,
and switching to 5.1 only when I play DVD films.

But I did rather hint to my wife that the new set up would allow me to shift
the old Wharfedale speakers out of the living room, and so now I'm going to
have to break the bad news to her....

But did you try the digital input to the amp?
I don't recall you saying that it didn't have one.